Method of building waterproof tunnels.



F. X. HALLINGER.

METHOD 0F BUILDING WATERPROOF TUNNLS.

APPLlcATloN FILED MAY 2. |914.

1 $138,693@ Patented. May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

lweniof F. X. HALLINGER.

METHOD 0F BUILDING WATERPROOF TUNNELS.

APPLlcMloN man MAY2,1914.

1,1 38,603. Patented May 4, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1HE MORRIS r-IEl-rt co., PHOTOLITHO. WASHINGYON, D C.

F. X. HALLINGER.

METHOD 0F BUILDINGWATERPROOF TUNNELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1914.

1,138,603. Patented May 4,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wzinese luzenof 7H: MORRIS PETERS C9., PHDTG-LIYHU WASHANGTDN. D c

sra'rns iwrn'r curro.

FRANZ XAVER HALLINGER, 0F HAMBURG, GERMANY.

METHOD OF BUILDING WATERPROOF TUN NELS.

tractor, have invented a new and usefulA Method of` Building Waterproof Tunnels, of which the following is a specification.

The method of building Ya waterproof tunnel by way of shield-driving, which together with the means for carrying it out forms the subject of the present invention, produces a reliable and durable external casing for the tunnel tube or lining which protects the latter against water and the surrounding` ground, the tunnel tube or lining being formed within the shield and inside the protective casing which is previously constructed. This improved protective covering or casing for the tunnel tube or lining Vconsists of three parts, namely an external layer or tube of compressible earth or ground (for instance sand, gravel and clay) which, by the reaction of the presses or jacks employed in driving the shield forward, is pressed closely and tightly against the surrounding ground; an intermediate tube or layer built up of plates or slabs; and an internal tube or layer built up of asphalt-felt board, which may be replaced by lead, Zinc or similar insulating metal if required. In the production of this improved construction of tunnel a boring shield is employed, which contains' at the rear end of its shell a second shell concentric with the ordinary outer shell, the annular space thus produced between the two shells, which is subdivided by the webs connecting the two shells, serving for the reception of the piston-like movable abutment plates of the pressure jacks, so that the counterpressure or reaction set up in driving forward the shield is utilized for the compression of the material forming the external tube or layer of the improved protective casing for the tunnel whereas the intermediate and the internal layers or tubes of the casing are built inside the second shell of the shield. The second shell iixed concentrically within the ordinary shell at the rear end of the shield offers considerable advantages in the building of the tun- Speeication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application filed. May 2, 1914. Serial No. 836,039.

nel, for it enables the driving forward of the shield to proceed independently of the formation of thetunnel tube or lining, because, firstly, the presses or jacks for driv-. 111g forward the shield act externally of the tunnel tubeor lining proper and, secondly, the pressure, which the jacks exert on the compressible material remployed in forming the external tube or layer of the protective casing acts upon the tunnel tube or lining proper beyond or behind the rear end of the shield. It is thus possible to drive the shield forward while in the interior thereof the building of the tunnel tube or lining is proceeding, this driving forward of the shield having, of course, to be stopped when the rear end of the shield approaches the end of the tunnel tube or lining under course of construction therein. Y

When compressed air is employed in the shield driving the second shell at the rear end of the shield offers the special advantage, that only the foremost chamber of the shield requires to be filled with compressed air, yseeing that such compressed air has access to the space between the two concentric shells of the shield. Therefore water is prevented from entering the shield even between the internal shell of the shield and the tunnel tube or lining, the water being kept off by the compressible material form-L ing the external tube or layer of the protective casing which is filled with compressed air.

The production of improved waterproof tunnels by means of shield-driving is carried out in the manner hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of an improved tunnel; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the tunnel seen in Fig. l with the improved shield device therein; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a different construction of inner lining; Fig. l is a transverse section of a tunnel of rectangular section; Fig. 5 is a transverse section, and Fig. 6 a longitudinal section of a tunnel in which jacks are employed in the construction of the inner lining. y K

The concentric arrangement of the second shell A within the rear end of the main shell a common abutment plate F, which fits and is movable in its respective chamber like a piston. In driving the shield forward the material contained inside the chamber C is compressed by the abutment plates F of the jacks E and escapes at the rear Vend of the outer shell into the surrounding space which becomes closely and tightly filled up. At ythe lower part of thetunnel this compressib'le material consists of sand or gravel with ysome addition of clay, while at the upper partearth or material of any suitable compact kind is employed. Should this material during the driving forward of the shield be pressed back a `considerable dis'- tance, it will be necessary to Iretract, the vpistons in the respective,chambers 'C and to fill further material into the latter, so that all the chambersI between the two shells of the shield are filled up tothe front. As there is no binding or ce'menting 'substance contained in the aforesaid material there is no setting, which would have a disadvantageous influence on the spreading or distribution yof 'the material. The compression of the material is such that while it is sufiicient to tightly and compacftly fill the space around the tunnel tube neither Ithe tunnel tube or lining nor the surrounding ground is prejudicially affected. When the annular space between the two 'shells is lilled with compressed material of the nature hereinbefore described, plates G made of jconcrete, armored concrete, or asphaltum, of the required dimensions and thickness, are yplaced against vthe internal shell A 'to form a tube. The outer surfaces of these plates Gr, which bear against the shell A, are provided with a thin coat of clay andthe vgrooves at the meeting edges or joints of neighboring plates are `filled with hot asphaltu'm or any other suitable packing material. The tube thus produced by means 'of the plates G is lined with a layer H of asphalt-felt board of 'any desired thickness. lVhere very iinportant .structures are concerned the layer H may be of lead, Zinc `or similar meta'l. The threepart protective casing or covering being produced in this manner, :the tunnel tube 'or liningJ is constructed in iron, concrete 'or armored concrete and thisy construction proceeds so that the 'insulating layer H projects no't less than about 50 cm. at the front. A y

The tube vcomposed of 'the plates G serves as a support for the insulating layer H, which latter effectively protects the tunnel tube J from the exterior against detrimental influences. The tube G also protects the insulating layer H against frictional abrasion and destruction, which otherwise would be produced by direct contact of the shell A when driving the shield forward. After the shield has been driven forward the required distance, the external protective layer composed of compressible earth or material on being liberated from the shell A, acts against the intermediate layer composed of the plates G with such a pressure that the plates G Apress the inner protective layer H tightly against the tunnel tube J at all points around the latter. In Figs. 1 and 2 a tunnel tube made of brickw'ork or con'crete is built between the insulating layer H and a suitable internal lining M, which latter is supported or stayed by means of iron rings N. The tun- S5 nel tube may be built in units or lengths of say up 'to about 1.50 m.l An annular plate L of iron is arranged at the front of the tube and tie r'ods 'O of iron `embedded in the brickwork or concrete hold the annular plate L in place. When the work has proceeded sulliciently for another length of the tube to be built in, the plate L is removed and the 'tie rods O are prolonged by joining fresh pieces of suitable length thereto. The annular plate L serves as a support for the plates G at the forward `rend while the construction of the -brickwork or concrete tunnel 'tube is proceeding. Brackets P arranged on 'the front face of the annular 100 plate L have projections adapted to grip over the front edge of the plates G, so that the latter are prevented from partaking in the movement of :the shield when the latter is being'driven forward. When it is not de- 105 si'red to produce `the tunnel tube inside the shield in units of about 1.50 m. lengths, which will be the case in connection with tunnels of large diameter, the plates G may be of greater thickness and at the meeting edges of each section of these thicker plates G iron rings Q are embedded -(see Figs. 5 and 6) rand these iron rings Q are connected together by round iron bars. rThis enables the construction of the tunnel itube to be proceeded with by erectin'gonly the lower portion ofthe brickwork or concrete inside the shield. In the upper space which remains between the rings N supporting the ordinary lining and the insulating layer H screw spindles R arefarranged as stays or struts until the finishing of the "tunnel tube is proceeded with. rThis construction is suliiciently 'strong :to take iup all the external forces due to pressure of the surrounding grund and the 'pressure due'fto the material compressed in driving forward the shield. The pressure which is due-to the compressed ground is considerably greater than a pressure due to an internal air pressure up to 2 atm. and the tunnel tube is thus -protected against breaking by the internal air pressure in a very simple and absolutely reliable manner.

In Fig. 3 is shown a transverse section of a tunnel having the tunnel tube S made of iron. This mantle consists of a plurality of segments built up inside the shield and connected together at the longitudinal and transverse meeting edges by rivets or screws. The annular space T between the iron tube S and the layer H can be of any desired thickness. If a thickness of 40 cm. be chosen the connection of the individual segments of the Vtube S is very much facilitated, because riveting and screwing can then be effected at the outside of the tube. If this annular space T is filled up with concrete or brickwork, the iron tube S serves at the time as an internal support. This concrete or brickwork is built perfectly dry, so that, when set, it forms an effective resisting part of the structure. The iron tube S can therefore be of comparative weak construction, which materially reduces the cost of producing the tunnel.

Fig. 4t shows a tunnel of square cross section. The interior walls of this tunnel are built of armored concrete or of iron coated externally with concrete or brickwork. When constructing this tunnel of armored vconcrete the method of building corresponds to that described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. When iron construction is chosen, the method of building also corresponds to that described with reference to Figs. 5 and G, but the screw spindles R and the internal rings N are discarded, because the iron girders Q, which are embedded at distances apart of about 1.50 m. serve as supports for the insulating layer H.

A special advantage of the hereinbefore described methods of construction consists in the fact, that in aqueous and shifting ground only the front part of the driving shield need be kept under compressedfair, whereas from the middle o f the shield backward compressed air is not required. The entrance of water behindthe tunnel tube or through same is impossible, because the compressible material between the two shells of the shield can be compressed to such an eX- tent, if necessary by adding a packing medium such as clay, paste of lime or trass, that it is perfectly watertight and closely surrounds the Whole of the tunnelj tube.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of building a waterproof tunnel in which the bore is made by driving a shield forward, consisting in first constructing a protective casing or covering comprising an outer tube or layer of compressible material such as sand or earth, gravel or clay, an -intermediate layer of plates and an inner insulating layer of asphalt-felt board or suitable metal, the outer tube or layer of compressible material being formed under the counter-pressure or reaction of the presses or jacks used for driving forward the shield, and in subsequently constructing the tunnel tube proper inside the aforesaid three-part protective casing or covering.

2. In the method of building a waterproof tunnel in which the bore is made by driving a shield forward, consisting in constructing the tunnel tube proper inside a protective casing or covering whose construction precedes the construction of the tunnel tube and takes place within the shield, the employment of a shield having at the rear thereof a second shell concentric with and inside the ordinary shell, this second shell being so arranged that the annular space around it is adapted to receive the abutment plates of the presses or jacks which effect the driving forward of the shield, these abutment plates being movable in this space like pistons in order to compress the material forming they outer layer of the protective casing or covering under the counter-pressure or reaction of the presses or jacks, the second shell of the shield also giving a support and protection during the v insulatingv layer of asphalt-felt board orV suitable metal, the outer tube or layer of compressible material being formed under the counter-pressure or reaction of the presses or jacks used for driving forward the shield, subsequently constructing the tunnel tube proper inside the aforesaid three-part protecting casing or covering, employing a shield having at the rear thereof a second shell concentric with and inside the ordinary shell, this second shell being so arranged that the annular space around it is adapted to receive theabutment plates of the presses or jacks which effect the driving forward of the shield, these abutment plates being movable in this space like pistons in order to compress the material forming the outer layer of the proteczyoive casing' or eoviing 1in-der the coun my name this 21st dey ofApri 1914, in the' ter pressure or reacion of the presses or presence of tw sibscrbing Witnesses. jacks and the Second vshell of the shield givf ing a vsupport and jrotec'ton during the y FRANZ XAVER HALLINGER' 5 onstfru'eton of the intermediate ayer fof the Witnesses:

prtectve overng. ERNEST H. L. MU'MMENHOFF,

In Wtness whereof 11i-ave hereunto s-g'ne IDA CHmsT. HFERMANN;

iccpies of thisvpatnt may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing tl'le Commissioner of Patents, Washington,.1). C. 

